THE council’s almost surreptitious decision to sell off another car park (Haymarket car park, Peasholme Green) in the city can only be described as municipal vandalism.

Whether the motive is to raise money or allied to a hatred of cars, this act ignores the fact that the city centre needs those who travel by car to survive, especially in the evening.

Blinded by the belief that Park&Ride is the answer to all travelling needs, this is another incomprehensible decision.

One would have thought the council had learned its lesson with the Lendal Bridge debacle, but clearly not. And there is the installation at huge expense of a magnificently wide cycle lane on the outer ring road between Wigginton and Haxby.

This car-size lane, which is always deserted, is a two-finger salute to motorists stuck in jams on a congested stretch of road that is long overdue for widening. Many locals already steer clear of the city centre because of its extreme parking regime and I fear the situation will now get worse.

In the evening, the city centre is, like its cycle lanes, mostly deserted. Perhaps the council believes we should all stay at home and watch television.

David Neal, Drakes Close, Huntington, York.